[Ella, Sofia, Halime, Talila, Nala and Maeve's POV]
Once Sofia secured the Holy Trees, the enemy soldiers went wild and pushed the three girls further into the garden. Maeve, Talila, and Nala regrouped, and all six started attacking the Novgorodians.
As the battle went on, they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of soldiers. When Ella saw this, she turned to Sofia. "Give Talila your ring," she said before turning to the silver-haired elf. "Escape back to Draconia. Archer needs this, and we'll catch up."
Talila looked hesitant, but Sofia gave her a ring holding the Holy Trees, "I don't want to leave you, girls. You will be defeated."
Ella beamed, "We will get out of here and meet you back at the kingdom before you even give Archer the potion."'
She hesitated, but Ella and Sofia got back to the battle. Talila transformed into her dragon form, took off, and started her escape by flying out of the garden as spells shot at her, but she skillfully dodged them.
Talila soared into the sky as the sun set and vanished into the clouds. When the other five saw this, they beamed before fighting through the soldiers. Maeve carved her way through flesh and steel like a bulldozer.
Halime and Nala transformed into their Primal forms before demolishing the remaining soldiers. Ella, Maeve, and Sofia jumped on them as they escaped through the city and headed for the southern gate.
Just as Nala climbed up the city's wall, followed by Halime, who made easy work of getting over it. When the five made it to the other side, they stopped short as an army stood in front, and a shield blocked them inside with the newcomers.
A young woman with short gray hair and bright blue eyes was riding a massive Tundrawalker that looked like a fashion of lions and horses. When Nala saw this, she let out a deep growl as Halime sprayed her poison on the enemy army.
That's when a man appeared out of nowhere and blocked the poison before sending a massive Fireball at them, which Sofia and Ella deflected using their magic as Maeve readied for battle. The tension hung heavy as the girls stood poised, but then a woman on a Tundrawalker rode forward, her voice echoing with an accent familiar to Sofia and Lysandra. "Cousin Sofia. Why do you betray the homeland? What have I done to you?"
All eyes turned to the scarfed figure, who defiantly removed her covering and stepped forward. "Grandfather killed Father! Do you think I'd ever forgive that? If so, then you're foolish, Yevdokiya."
Ella observed as the grey-haired woman scoffed dismissively. "So be it. You will perish here, cousin, alongside the 'devil's wives.' Once we capture the escaped dragon and retrieve the Holy Tree, I will personally lead the Imperial Army to raze Draconia to the ground."
As the woman finished speaking, she had to dodge an arrow that streaked past her head swiftly. All eyes turned to Ella, who stood firm with a bow in hand, firing at Yevdokiya without hesitation.
Yevdokiya pulled back momentarily, her expression hardening before she barked orders to her army, "Kill them all!"
A tsunami of steel and flesh surged forward. Nala and Halime reacted first, crashing into the advancing army with primal fury. They were followed by Sofia, who transformed into a Giant Mountain Bear, her massive claws swiping through hundreds of soldiers with devastating force.
Maeve noticed a group of soldiers rushing toward Ella, peppering the enemy with explosive mana arrows. As the enemy approached, she blocked the attacks before slicing them in half with one swipe.
The sheer volume of projectiles effortlessly obliterated the creatures and their riders. Talila aimed directly for the ship, but it exploded, forcing her to swiftly veer away from the debris and head straight for Draconia.
More eagles appeared behind and closed in, forcing her to exchange spells with the pursuers while trying to escape. Talila dived toward the ocean surface before soaring back up to confuse them as she peppered the creatures with Sun Blasts.
While doing this, Talila cast Moon Blasts at them, catching several off guard. She couldn't shake them for hours, but soon, Draconia appeared in the distance, causing hope to surge
through her.
Talila pressed on with her fight, sending Aisha a quick message that she had secured the ingredients but was now being pursued. As she focused on evading her pursuers, she noticed small dots emerging from the nearby island, initially confusing her.
Soon, however, the mystery was solved when wyverns came into view. They swiftly raced past Talila, engaging the Novgorodian Eagles in a fierce aerial battle. She witnessed dozens of monsters falling into the ocean below.
After witnessing the wyverns' aerial prowess, Talila swiftly flew towards the island. As she approached, Aisha's message directed her to the palace where Archer awaited. It took her only ten minutes to reach her destination.
Upon landing and assuming her dragon form, Talila was greeted by the unexpected sight of Lucrezia standing before her. The mosasaur woman smiled, "You look tired, Tali; hand over
the ingredients and get some rest."
She nodded but warned while handing over the storage ring, "The others are back in
Verdantia and are about to be surrounded."
Lucrezia's concern was evident, though she quickly composed herself. "They will be fine, but
we must create this potion and give it to Archer as soon as possible," she said, her voice
steady despite her worry.
With that, Lucrezia hurried off, leaving Talila to be guided by the maids to where Archer
awaited. Along the way, they informed her that Fianna was trapped within the caccoon that
encased him.
Finally reaching the garden, Talila sat down on a nearby bench. Exhaustion washed over her, and soon she succumbed to sleep.